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Winner gets: second-round South regional matchup with either Arizona or Wichita State, who tip off around 9:50 p.m.

Quick take: The Hurricanes shouldn’t have a problem here, if they stay patient, rebound and convert on the offensive end. Buffalo will run-and-gun, but Miami is the more talented, deeper, experienced team.

Defend without fouling. In the Hurricanes’ 18 ACC games, they committed an average of 15 fouls per game. In eight games against ranked opponents (5-3), they were called an average of 16 times. So how to explain the 44 fouls in two games Miami committed in the ACC tournament? Larranaga pointedly wondered after losing to Virginia if he might have to install a new defense. “We’re top 20 in the country in not fouling,” he said. “We don’t put people on the foul line. Yesterday and today, I don’t know. Maybe it will be called this way in the NCAA tournament, too.” Buffalo might hope so. The Bulls attack the rim and get to the line, so Miami better find a way to stay on the right side of the stripes.

Watch the runaway train. When hot, Buffalo can put a scare into some of the nation’s best teams. When not, the Bulls will shoot themselves out of games. Their pace – 14.7 seconds per possession, eighth-best among Division I teams – is blinding. But they also take bad shots and struggle to set up against patient defenses. Miami is an extremely efficient team (12th of 351 Division 1 teams in KenPom offense) and is comfortable playing a slow game (278th in tempo). It needs to remain so to advance. If for some reason Miami comes unglued, Buffalo has a shot.

Own the glass: Buffalo, which won the MAC title on a three-pointer in the final seconds, doesn’t win a lot of games that way. The Bulls sank 35 threes in three MAC tourney games, but are making 33.7 percent on the year (222nd of 351 Division 1 teams). They were also fifth in the MAC in rebounding margin and start 6-10, 235-pound redshirt freshman Ikenna Smart at center. Senior Tonye Jekiri (7-0, 250) and junior Kamari Murphy (6-8, 220) should be busy.